Review

Overview

From the entry gate of the resort, we drive through a "jungle" of tropical trees and dense thickets of mangroves, a landscape suggestive of the Riviera Maya as it used to be, a tropical green refuge bordering the blue Caribbean. At the Ambassador lobby, one of the resort's three areas or "ambiances," the staff offers us refreshing cold towels and glasses of iced mango-kiwi tea.

It's hard to take our eyes off the view: a series of infinity pools that seem, from our vantage point, to merge into the sea. The lobby's tall, white walls, topped by a 100-foot high palapa (thatched roof) ceiling, frame the scene.

The Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort, Riviera Maya, is so impressive, that it's hard to believe the resort functions as an all-inclusive. But it does. The resort's sister property, by the same name in Nuevo Vallarta, received TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice award for "Best Luxury Hotel in the World," as well as AAA's Five Diamond Award, the only all-inclusive resort that accepts families in the world, we are told, to garner all the diamonds. The Grand Velas Riviera Maya, opened November 2008, aims for similar accolades and should be rated soon.

"The idea is to give the term 'all-inclusive' a new meaning," says Oliver Schuschner, one of the managers at Grand Velas. "People associate all-inclusives with recycled buffets and lots of guests and not so much service. Everything here is freshly prepared. We do not compromise on quality and we do not cut down on service."

As far as we can tell, he's right. That's the resort's real achievement. With five specialty restaurants--none charging extra--plus accommodations hovering at around 1,200 square feet and one butler/concierge for every 12 guestrooms, we never once think of our stay as a "sacrifice" made for the peace of mind of a pre-ordained price. In fact, the food and facilities at the Grand Velas Riviera Maya conjure up comparisons to the area's five-diamond properties such as the Ritz Carlton Cancun and the JW Marriott Cancun.

The Grand Velas Riviera Maya spreads out on 205 acres and offers 491 all-suite (oversized rooms) accommodations in three different sections. While the Grand Class accepts only adults, both the Master Class, near the convention center and surrounded by the jungle, as well as the beachfront Ambassador Class, welcome families. The three lodging areas serve to mitigate crowds and to keep the convention business from overwhelming families traveling on their own.

Happily for us, Grand Velas' all-inclusive concept also banishes a boisterous activities staff. Instead of dragging us off our lounge chairs to join in a chicken dance or a volleyball game, the attendants gently inquire if we want a drink or any food. That's much more to our liking. There are, however, fewer activities offered at this property than at some other all-inclusives. And there’s no evening show. For some families, particularly those with teenagers, life after sundown could be too quiet, but it suits us just fine. Evenings here are what you make them.

Written by Candyce H. Stapen